the future will not repeat the past
by hollis65
Summary: Silver Millennium- the war with Metallia was taking its toll, and General Selene must make the most difficult decision of the war so far: to contact Earth and seek their support. Serenity, Inner Senshi, Outer Senshi, Endymion and Shittennou. Rated M for violence, adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

the future will not repeat the past

Silver Millennium- the war with Metallia was taking its toll, and General Selene must make the most difficult decision of the war so far: to contact Earth and seek their support. Selene, Serenity, Inner Senshi, Outer Senshi, Endymion and Shittennou.

First fanfic! please R&amp;R :)

I own nothing Sailor Moon, sadly.

Chapter 1

NEPTUNE, Operating Base of the Silver Alliance

"We lost contact with Uranus two days ago-_"_ General Selene, Queen of the Silver Alliance and Supreme Commander of the Bishouju Senshi Armies, paces the war room of Neptune's last standing operating base, listening to her commanders' reports "-We must assume the few scouts left on my planet were discovered... Another planet lost to the enemy. And now, we are outnumbered here, too. My windwalker scouts tell me we are outnumbered 5:1. I don't like these odds, General."

Amara, Princess Amara to be exact, leader of the elite Windwalker Scouts from Uranus finishes her reconnaissance report. Her speed is unmatched, as is her skill with the scimitar. Selene considers the intelligence Amara delivers with silent steps around the elegant seafoam table in this bare war room, a small reminder of the beauty that once was part of this house on Neptune's coast, before the war visited this quiet place. Now, maps and reports are strewn across it's surface with the day's meager meal forgotten hours ago and outside the moans from the infirmary drift through the window. General Selene says nothing, instead continuing her steady, silent pacing around the table.

"They are well supplied, General. They have established a source of dark energy by-" Michiru, Commander of their Amphibious units, pauses. "-by draining the energy of the remaining citizens that were in the Capital." she tells Selene. Like Amara, She is skilled in ascertaining the most accurate intelligence, but Selene knows this particular knowledge came at a price. The room is silent as the war council takes in this terrible news.

Amara speaks up, "Sir, we must evacuate whoever we can and strengthen the perimeter from Jupiter. We must protect the inner planets. I fear the Outer planets are lost."

Selene stops her steps, and looks out the window to the ocean. On the other side of the ocean was the Capital of Neptune. _It must be turned to ash now. How many dead are now part of Metallia__'__s army? _Selene's mind knew the math but couldn't accept it just yet.

General Rei, ever the fiery temper, cuts in via hologram from her home world. "So Amara, you would abandon your home worlds completely and leave no way for us to regain strongholds on the Outer Planets?"

"Perhaps when your family is murdered in front of your eyes like mine was, you would accept it is better to spare others the same fate, Rei-_kun_." Spits Amara. Rei lets out an angry huff at Amara's insult, flames beginning to swirl in the background of her hologram.

"Amara-chan, Rei-chan you forget yourselves. General, we can't stay on Neptune." Minako says. The Commander from Venus always did her best to end an argument before it could begin.

"But we must find a way to know the enemy's movements. If we are to keep the Inner Planets protected, Jupiter must be properly defended." Lita pipes in.

"I'm with Lita, we need adequate intelligence." Ami quietly adds.

_I need more time, _Selene thinks. She stops to face the present party of the Outer Senshi and the holograms of the Inners behind.

"Enough," Selene finally speaks. "Inner Senshi, you will build our defenses on Jupiter. Mercury must ensure we have enough reserve power to supply the defense shield by boosting energy exports from the remaining three planets. Do what you can without exhausting resources."

"As you command, General. We will use the planets's cores accordingly, the Moon we leave in case we must retreat again." says Ami. Lita nods, and the two silently turn off their holographic devices, now that they have orders.

"Mars, initiate the draft on your planet. We must prepare, in case Jupiter becomes compromised." Selene states.

"Selene-sama, surely it wouldn't come to that..." Rei stammers.

"You are the Oracle, are you not? Did you not foresee this great turmoil? Only by preparing for the worst can we hope to win this war. Now follow your orders." Selene calmly says.

"Yes, General. My apologies for questioning you... it won't happen again." Rei salutes Selene, before turning off her own holographic communicator. When this war started, and Rei first approached her about the visions the Fire brought her, Selene was kinder, more patient with the girl. But too many have died already for the General to be delicate now. _The child must learn, and soon if we are abandoning the Outers. Soon, her planet may be all that is left and she must defend it with more than her life. _

"Uranus and Neptune cannot be completely abandoned, but I cannot spare any troops. Amara, Michiru… I need you to promote someone from your staff to take your places as Commanders of the remaining armies from your planets. You two are the only ones I trust with scouting the Outer Planets going forward. You cannot be caught by the Enemy. If you are, know that I will not send anyone to rescue you. Gather as much intelligence as you can without getting caught. I trust you two completely in this matter." Selene says. _They have seen enough bloodshed to know what must be done to save the rest of the system the same fate__._

"Yes General, you can count on us," Michiru says. She and Amara share a nod to each other, and leave the war room lockstep.

The only person left was Venus, her golden hair a beacon of radiant light in her hologram.

"Minako, I am relocating headquarters to Jupiter at once. Continue to train my daughter in the art of defense. She must be ready to defend the system, at all costs. Do not educate her on the war's current state, she is not yet ready and I can't have her overwhelmed." Selene murmurs.

"Sir? She is almost sixteen... She should know what she will be facing when she embraces the silver crystal-" Venus starts.

"NO." Selene's voice is firm with the finality of an argument long-repeated. "She cannot be made aware, It is for the protection of the Silver Crystal, and therefore the power that protects this system, that she must master the ability to defend herself and those around her first, before she can enlist and join her sisters. You must work with Luna and Artemis and continue her training. Promise me you will protect her at all costs. She is the only heir to the power of the Silver Crystal, and until she is of age for the Embrace, she will be vulnerable." Selene turns away from the screen, signaling the end of her orders. "Now go."

"Yes, General." Venus sighs in reply, before signing out. the wall of holograms is now black and silent.

Selene pounds her fist on the war room table. _I need more time. Serenity is not ready for the Embrace._

"You do not have the time, your Majesty. The time is now, you must let her take the Embrace." The low lilt of Pluto's voice washes over Selene, like the coo of a dove.

"She is not ready to guard the system, let alone the Golden Crystal's Ascension, Setsuna-chan. I will not make the same mistake my Mother made. I was not ready, and it cost us Elysian for a generation and Earth abandoning the Alliance."

Selene turns to face Sailor Pluto, her most trusted, elusive advisor. _She wouldn__'__t have left her post unless she were truly concerned I was making the wrong decision, _Selene thought. But memories of a young woman, lifeless on the steps of Earth's most holy temple flood back to Selene's head and heart, and her resolve returns with grim determination. "Serenity will be ready for her responsibilities, when she is thoroughly trained and prepared."

"Oblivion hangs on the edge of a knife, my Queen. There is a fine line between being prepared and being too cautious. I see a faint golden light through the mists of Kronos, the time for Earth to awaken its guardian is near, and Serenity must be ready to guard Earth's Senshi during his coronation."

"His?" Selene asks. She had believed Helios always chose a female when he did decide to name one of Earth's royals worthy to be the bearer of the Golden Crystal. The few men to wield it were legends of their times. _Perhaps we can use this turn of events to our favor__… _"Is this why you've come to visit?"

Setsuna's red eyes bored into Selene's, never blinking. "Yes, if we are to survive this war without awaking Hotaru-chan, you must contact Earth for support. Without Earth, you will fail Selene-sama. I can say no more."

Setsuna tapped the gem in her tiara and she disappeared in a cloud of billowing, purple smoke that faded into nothingness too fast for Selene's liking. She always got chills seeing the fog from the Gates of Time, cloying to come into contact with the present. Selene sat at her table and mused over the scattered war plans. She knew her next steps but dreaded having to execute her plan. Selene took a deep, steadying breath before she called in her Lieutenant Io, who entered and saluted.

"Io, we are evacuating Neptune, send word to every citizen you can to find refuge in the Inner Planet of their choice, and move the armies to Jupiter. Setup my headquarters at the royal palace, though I will not join you for a week."

"Selene-sama, it will be done. Is that all, your majesty?"

She could always count on Io to follow orders to the letter but the old battle-ax of a woman wanted to know Selene's complete strategy, too. _If she__'__s to run HQ while I do this, I may as well tell her the truth._

"Not quite Io. I'm visiting my daughter back on the Moon for a day, before visiting Earth. They must come back to the Alliance if we are to win this war."


	2. Chapter 2a

**Hi there! It's been so long since I've updated but this sorry hasn't left my mind. I still have the basic plot in my head and plan to finish this story, unfortunately I can't guarantee new chapters at a regular interval due my life outside of writing. That being said, this chapter is a long one so there are two parts! Some quick notes:**

**1\. Lunar day- I'm playing with the idea that a Lunar day is the equivalent of many earth days, see **** wiki/Lunar_day**** for reference. In this story, 1 Lunar day=24 Lunar hours= 29.53 Earth days (lunar cycle)= 708.72 Earth hours**

**2\. I'm including some japanese in this world's speech, so here are some translations for to be safe; gomen= sorry, nani= what. Why did I do this? I guess I watched the original japanese cartoons so often with English subtitles that when I hear the characters in my head, I can hear them using these terms as part of their regular parlance (much like the show Firefly and its blending of English and Chines I guess, lol)**

**3\. There are flashbacks in this chapter and cuts in scene, so for reference: — is a scene change, and *** is the beginning of a flashback.**

**I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 2a

THE MOON, the gardens of Palace Mare Serenitatis

Venus meandered the palace gardens on her way to the barracks, basking in the pale morning light of the sun. As she walked along the hedges, the moonglories slowly closed their petals for the day, waiting to open again till next nightfall. The Commanding General loved to witness the change in the day, the various lunar flowers welcoming the sun with one final salute of their evening's watch, only to witness them wake up and return to their ethereal duties at twilight again. This particular morning it was even more picturesque as the Earth hovered just over the highest dome of the Palace.

_Nature has its own watches, and so must we, _she mused. Though she had to admit to herself, Nature's duties didn't include hauling a claymore sword everywhere. _Damned Holy Blade, _she huffed, _why couldn't it have been a Holy Rapier? so much lighter to carry that way. _There were times she thought she could hear the moonsteel of her sword ring, like it was almost singing by her side in jest of her plight, this being one of those moments. _It is my duty, therefore I will have to deal. _Minako readjusted her baldric so the sword sat properly on her left hip and focused on the task at hand:

Serenity.

_If only she were my age, _Venus thought, _she'd be ready for the Embrace by now. _Serenity was not the youngest of the Royal heirs in the Silver Alliance- Ami was a year younger, though few would've known it, given her superior intelligence. Serenity would be 16 at the end of the month, which was two years younger than Minako, _and she's bursting at the seams to be trusted with missions outside the palace, _Venus thought. Serenity was gifted, and when she applied herself (key word: when) she displayed the beginnings of the leadership and battle skills necessary to take the Embrace._ How can I prepare her for successfully defending the alliance when her mother won't let her experience war's effects first-hand? She'll never be ready at this rate._

Unlike the other Princesses who became senshi before their time to take their respective planets' thrones, Serenity could not don her fuku until she took the Embrace, one of the most sacred rituals of the Silver Alliance and consequently one of the most vulnerable times for the Alliance's security. At the ceremony, the current monarch passes on stewardship of the Ginzuishou, the Legendary Silver Crystal in all it's illuminate glory, to the heir of the Moon, beginning the 100-year transition of power from one generation to the next. Ami had mentioned in conversation once that the Embrace was more an elaborate ritual now than the act itself; in ancient times when there was less pomp and circumstance, the Ginzuishou was said to have been "summoned" when the strength of the inheritor's will was stronger than their predecessor's. Eventually over time, and many generations of the monarchy, it had turned into an all-day ceremony with a week of festivities both before and after the event. Considering it's a once-in-a-lifetime event to behold, Minako wasn't surprised the ritual had become the elaborate pageant that it was today. There were rumors among the older servants in the Lunar palace that it took at least two years to plan Selene's Embrace; Minako hoped Serenity's turn wouldn't require the same amount of time to plan. Considering the state of the war effort, she doubted it.

_She has plenty of time to grow into the role of Monarch, what's the hurt in Serenity taking the Embrace a little early? It will boost the morale of the troops, and give the Queen a much needed partn-_

"MINAKO-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN! good morning!" Limbs and blond hair went tumbling in circles as Serenity, Princess of the Moon and Heir to the Great Seat of the Throne of the Silver Alliance, tackled Venus in a bear hug.

"Serenity-sama! Good morning, but tomorrow a regular hug will do just fine." Venus wheezed, though she couldn't help but smile at Serenity's enthusiasm as they continued on to the training grounds. Serenity was dressed in her sparring garb, odangos firmly in place on the sides of her head, with the kind of borderline-goofy smile only she could possess. _Too bad she can't kill the enemy with kindness, _mused Venus.

"Please Minako, you know I hate it when you're formal, when will you just call me Serenity? Anyway, you seemed worried about something so I had to snap you out of whatever was keeping you down!" Serenity countered.

_If only I could tell her the truth…_

"Ah well that's because Artemis and I were discussing yesterday how we can step up your training. You are mastering both hard and soft styles of defense in hand-to-hand combat, perhaps it's time we introduce swords… tell me, how are your tutoring sessions with Artemis and Luna?"

Serenity's steps faltered for the briefest of moments, "Uhhh well you know Luna always believes there's room for improvement and right now I have some subjects where I should focus a little harder…"

"Uh-huh, let me guess you need to focus on everything!" Venus jokingly winked at Serenity.

"Oh Minako-chan you know me- I try focusing on the subject at hand and then I start to daydream about- you know- anything else! I'll pick it up in time for when I take the throne, for now I'm not worried." Serenity shrugged.

"Worried about what?" a familiar, soothing female voice asked. Serenity's eyes lit up as she gasped, clutching Venus's arm, and spun around to see her mother standing behind them with a triumphant smile.

It had been two long years since Serenity had seen her mother in person, though they conversed pretty regularly via hologram. Lately though Selene's messages had been sporadic and hurried, like she was withholding something from Serenity. "MOMMA!" Serenity took a step to hug her mother, before stopping herself to salute first- she needed to prove she had grown into her future role as senshi. Both of her feet snapped together at the heels, her right fist crossed to touch her left chest, followed with a touch of her forehead with her right two forefingers, palm facing out, her left arm at her side.

Selene proudly acknowledged the salute with her own forefingers to her forehead, and replied "at ease my darling girl." _She is so grown from when I last saw her, _Selene thought, _maybe Setsuna was right... maybe she is more ready than I thought._

Serenity immediately broke attention to hug her mother, and the two continued walking with Minako to the training grounds that were now within sight. Selene took the lead with Serenity just slightly behind to her left, Minako dutifully following the two a couple steps behind.

"How long are you home, Momma?" Serenity tentatively asked. She knew better than to hope her mother would reply _forever, _but she truly wanted to be able to spend time with her this visit home. _She's never here unless she absolutely has to be, I wonder what brought her home? _Serenity thought.

"Just one day, my child, then … I must do some traveling to the other planets to ensure all is in order. A general must constantly maintain regular inspections of her troops if they are to maintain peak condition." Selene answered.

Minako silently looked off to the right, over the horizon at Earth, pondering Io's coded message to the Bishouju Senshi last night. _THE ELEPHANT REMAINS RUNNING ABOUT NEAR SCHOOL _were the only words she had sent, but Minako knew the coded message from the first letter of each word: _T.E.R.R.A.N.S. _The Earth- "The Estranged" as some called the planet, others cynically called it "the Outcast," but Venus knew whatever plans Selene did have in mind, they involved a planet with which no one had had formal communications in years. Granted, there were always the black markets… Somehow there was always coffee for sale in the bazaar, even though Earth was the only planet known to grow the bean. But in the black market, you don't ask questions because the answer is usually a knife to your throat. _What is Selene planning? _Minako wondered.

"Oh, you are leaving so soon?" Serenity asked her mother, her voice betrayed her sadness at the news. She had hoped she would have more time to talk, more time to ask questions and hopefully gain insight… she had cherished the few times her mother let her sit in on her strategy meetings with the Senshi, and even more the times when she didn't get caught by Luna or Artemis for eavesdropping on her classified discussions. _What Mom doesn't know won't kill her… _

"Yes, but if I wrap up my tours quickly perhaps I can come back for a brief visit before heading back to the front line. But Serenity, what is it that has you worried now?" Selene asks. Serenity nervously laughed as she began to tug her hair, she had to change the subject quickly before she got in major trouble.

"Oh hehe Momma it's nothing really that's worrying me, I just got some feedback from Luna about my tutoring sessions and where I should improve. Just minor things here and there you see, tweaking my lesson plans."

Selene skeptically looked over at her daughter as they approached the sparring square, she had given plenty of interrogations, but any parent could recognize a blatant lie from their child when they heard one. "Oh, that's it? Anything in particular Luna mentioned that requires increased focus?" By this time they had reached the training grounds, an open square with a clay floor and benches on all four sides. Venus unclasped her baldric and rested her sword on a nearby bench, rolling her neck from side to side as she began to prep for her sparring session with Serenity.

"Ah, well mathematics… quadratic equations are a little more difficult than previous lessons…" Serenity began to nonchalantly begin her stretches, hoping that by beginning her combat training her mother would change her focus and let the subject go. She reached to the sky before bending over to touch her fingers to her toes, stretching her hamstrings.

Selene nodded, knowing her daughter's strategy all too well. "I see, how did you score on your latest test?"

Serenity's face turned beet red as she almost lost balance and fell over her own toes. She covered the slip up by trying trying to transition into some squats, "Ah. well Luna and I decided a few months ago that test scores really aren't the best way to measure performance, you know, it's just a way of assigning value to something unquantifiable like your education. So the number on my last test doesn't really mean how well I'm performing you see. Momma, it's nothing to be concerned about." Serenity started nervously laughing and shuffling towards the center of the square, readying her defensive stance.

Minako was ready and waiting for Serenity, bouncing her weight from one foot to the other, arms raised in the defensive position, as she sized up Serenity as an opponent. She looked to the side where Selene was standing, arms crossed, intent on watching their sparring match. She looked Minako in the eye and winked. _So, we'll be hitting Serenity with a physical and a mental sparring match? This should be fun. _Minako looked back to Serenity who was ready, keeping her weight shifted between both feet and her right arm raised to guard against a blow to the head. Minako nodded and then smiled as she said, "defend yourself Serenity-sama."

Serenity smiled in return to her friend and trainer, "defend yourself, Minako-chan." They began to circle each other, testing to see who would be the first to attack. Then Serenity, eager to demonstrate her abilities to her mother, went in with a right hook to Venus's jaw. Minako caught sight and dodged out of the way just in time, with a counter of her own. Soon the girls were in their own world, blocking and attacking trying to find the other's weakness. Selene watched from the sides, offering a word here or there, waiting for the right moment to distract her daughter. Finally she found the moment where both girls had stepped back from each other to reset for new attack strategies.

"Serenity, what was your score on your test?" Selene asked, knowing she'd knock Serenity off her guard. Serenity turned her head to her mother and sputtered a few words to deflect the question.

Minako didn't waste time and immediately bounded in for an attack with her right foot, Serenity barely dodged the attack but lost her balance in the act. Minako took advantage and knocked Serenity on her back with a graceful, sweeping low kick of her left. With the grace of a ballerina, she turned out of the kick to place her right heel against Serenity's neck in triumph.

"Good." Selene commented from the side as she stepped toward the center of the square. Minako let up her foot and offered Serenity her arm, pulling her quickly to her feet with a knowing smile. Serenity brushed herself off and nodded to Venus, when Selene placed both hands on the side of her daughters face to look her in the eye. "Focus on your opponent, but keep your surroundings in mind. On and off the battlefield, your enemies will use any means to distract you and take advantage of a momentary lapse in attention. The Ginzuishou follows your focus, so if you pay attention to one front but neglect the rest, you will fail your duty to protect the Alliance."

Serenity sighed, knowing her mistake. "Yes, momma." It had been some time since she had been distracted during a fight. _Great, now she thinks I'm as unskilled as a fresh recruit, _Serenity thought_._

Selene nodded and released her daughter. She crossed her arms, ready to ask another question. "Now what was your score on that test?"

Serenity knew there was no point hiding her poor performance now, she looked to the ground as she mumbled, "37%."

"SERENITY ARE YOU TAKING YOUR STUDIES SERIOUSLY?!" Selene's voice carried across the entire training yard as the pale morning sunlight seemed to diminish. "I need you to work harder than ever before and I can't spare any other Guardians than Venus to monitor your progress. Think of your future comrades, Bishouju Senshi, they need you to become stronger so you are at peak performance. Do you want to let them down? This is not a game, child, you must focus harder on your studies and your training. " Selene couldn't believe her daughter's performance. _How can I trust that she'll be ready soon when she won't focus?_

Serenity could feel her own temper rising. _How dare she pull the soldier line like I'm still in basic training!_ Last time she saw her Mother she hadn't even begun to learn basic defenses, and in the first thirty minutes of seeing her she'd been brow-beaten on not only her fighting skills, but also her academic studies. She lost her better judgement and snapped back, "How would you know what I should focus on?! You've barely been home since I started training 4 years ago, how can you even tell the progress that I've made? You think tricking me into losing a sparring match with Minako-chan proves I'm not worthy? For all you know I could be ready to face the Embrace! What does pre-calculus have to do with the power of the silver crystal anyway, I'm ready for my real responsibilities!"

In a flash of blinding light, Selene had transformed into the her regal form, her military sailor fuku replaced by the regal gown of the lunar monarchy, a strapless pale lavender gown that seemed to bend and move from an invisible, ethereal breeze. She wore a long string of the palest pink pearls, and a small silver tiara in her hair. Within Selene's outstretched hands, the silver crystal radiated raw, unfiltered power; the surrounding grounds felt like the dullest shades of lunar greys and blacks compared to the luminescent beauty of the Queen in the Ginzuishou's light. Venus, shocked by the sudden transformation, immediately kneeled in front of her Queen. Frighteningly calm, Selene spoke.

"Then prove it, child. Step forward and place your hand on my arm, and let's see if you indeed are ready to take your place at the throne. Serenity, daughter of Selene, prove to the Ginzuishou your birthright."

Serenity looked at her mother for a moment, dumbfounded. All their previous arguments had resulted in shouting matches via hologram, but they had never escalated into something like this. The last time Serenity had seen the silver crystal she hadn't been in training yet- she vaguely remembered at the age of 5 spying on her mother's judgments on the throne and seeing her use the silver crystal to banish a woman to the "Dark Moon," wherever that was. She had been frightened by the calm determination in her mother's visage that day, but was fascinated by the glowing gem she had held in her delicate hand. Now, the Ginzuishou was in sight again and her mother was challenging her to take The Embrace, right here and now! Serenity stood tall, took a deep breath, and placed her left hand on her mother's arm, her right crossed over her heart. Mysteriously she hadn't transformed into her regal dress, _why am I still in my sparring gear?_

"Focus on the power of the crystal and see if you can will it to your right hand. If you can successfully summon the Ginzuishou to you, you will have proven you are ready." Selene spoke. She gazed intently on her daughter, readying herself to feel the silver crystal be torn from her soul. _She better realize she's going to have summon Heaven on Lunara to attain it._

Serenity steadied her breathing and focused her attention on the silver crystal. _Come on you, it's my turn now. come to my hand._

Serenity felt a cold wave roll across her body, she looked down to see she had transformed into her regal white dress. It was strapless with golden circles along the top of the bodice and pearls lining the empire waist. Her sleeves, light and airy chiffon silk, connected to the bodice only at one point, giving them the look of floating clouds around her bare shoulders. Her pearls were white and as long as her mother's, her tiara gold. _Ok that's a good sign, what do I do now?_

Serenity's face became contorted as she focused her energy to the crystal. It didn't even budge. She saw the slightest of smirks come across her mother's face, but otherwise she remained like a statue, waiting for Serenity to take some form of action to win over the silver crystal.

_Please, _Serenity pleaded to herself, _I have to prove myself to Momma. Show me what I should do? She wants me to protect this kingdom with her, show me a way._

As if her pleas had been heard, the crystal flickered and Serenity felt a question: _why have you summoned me? _Serenity lost her breath as she saw images flood her mind- she saw Amara's brother Aetolus, lying on the ground with a spear sticking out of his chest, his eyes glossy and frozen. _What would you do?_ She heard the question as if she were being prosecuted. In the blink of an eye the Princess saw a small boy with black hair and blue eyes, running across a meadow to his mother, next he is screaming in tears over his mother, now dead and face down, the once tranquil meadow now turned to ash. _What would you do?_ Serenity heard again and shuddered, in shock at the images tearing through her mind and the question being repeated to her stronger and stronger. She kept seeing flashes of faces, of families, of happy moments, only to be torn down into death, despair, into anger. She saw images of brother fighting brother, kin versus kin. Each time a new scene unfolded in her mind she felt the same question: _WHAT WOULD YOU DO? _

Serenity was frozen in fear, _i don't know, _she thought to herself. As if in answer, her ears started to swarm with the sounds of screams and cries and shouts, as if the air she breathed was fighting around her and inside her. She closed her eyes and started shaking her head trying to drown out the sound. Her breathing became heavy but she felt like she was suffocating on the sounds around her. _This is too much, so much suffering, make it stop. _

_"_MAKE IT STOP!"

_**ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump**_

A wave of silence washed over Serenity and all she could hear was her heart frantically beating, and the sound of her heavy breathing. She opened her eyes in surprise, both her hands were on her ears and she was hunched over to protect her head, she looked down to see she was also back in her sparring gear. Serenity blinked in confusion, then looked to her mother, who was looking at her in disappointed sympathy, still in her regal gown and holding the Silver Crystal. To her right, Venus stood, a look of grim determination on her face, though her eyes were laden with tears yet to fall. Serenity stood up straight, realizing she had failed.

Selene sighed and held her hands over her chest, and the Ginzuishou slowly faded as it looked to be absorbed by her body once again. She transformed back into her fuku and turned to Venus. "Her training is done for the day, take the remainder of the morning for yourself, I will handle it from here, Venus."

Venus bowed her head, "Forgive me, Selene-sama, I have failed you."

Selene reached out and put her hand under Minako's chin, "Nonsense Minako. My daughter is young, she simply needs more time. I have full faith she will complete her training under your guidance." Selene said, smiling in encouragement. Venus nodded and turned to retrieve her sword, she needed to meditate on the morning's events. _What time is it on Mars? Rei will know what to do, _thought Minako_._

Selene and Serenity stood in silence until Venus had left the grounds, neither wanting to face the other. Selene silently walked to face the entrance, looking towards the weeping willows along the path and their peaceful entreaty to rest among their wispy pale green branches. How she missed the feeling of peace and security, longed for happier days when she could have a picnic within the shade of their lovely boughs.

Serenity remained motionless, brooding at the stone benches that bordered the sparring grounds, and remembered how they looked more like alters, bathed in blood and surrounded by destruction, in the vision she was just forced to witness. She wondered if- no- when she saw those images again, would she have the strength to face them? She reluctantly turned away from those eery premonitions, to face her mother, and the harsh reality of her inevitable next attempt at the Embrace.

"Mother, I-"

"The Ginzuishou tests your will, daughter," Selene blankly declared, still solemnly holding the beckoning willows in her wistful regard, "It tests every successor differently, but for most of us it has always been some test of the purity of our hearts and the strength of our wills to protect this system. Understand, when you take the Embrace, you begin to forge a soul bond with the Ginzuishou, and the connection I have established begins to wane, painfully, until it is entirely severed from me and I am left without the part of my soul I gave to the Crystal..."

Serenity silently marveled at her mother standing before her and her face began to pale. _She's given so much of herself to the crystal, how could I possibly do the same?_

Selene continued, unaware of her daughter's internal strife, "When you take the Embrace, you take the collected knowledge, wisdom, and strength of all your ancestors. Whatever you saw, the training Venus, Luna, and Artemis are providing you will better prepare you for the next time you attempt the Embrace and face their scrutiny." Selene said clinically.

She finally turned to her daughter with a quiet sigh, and saw the hard lesson learned in her child's eyes. Serenity's cheeks were now pink, tears streaming down her eyes, her body shaking as she tried not to break down in front of her mother.

Selene instantly stepped in to hold her daughter close, who finally let out a small sob, wiping the tears from her face. "What if I'm never ready, Momma?"

Selene breathed deep and kissed her daughter's head before responding, "if you train hard, and study diligently, you will be ready my darling girl. It's natural to be afraid of your future responsibilities. I was, too, at your age. But we must face our fears for the good of the people we protect. Always remember that every part of your training is integral to your taking my place as Queen, and know that I am proud of all that you have and will achieve. Now, no more tears- a General doesn't let her troops see her cry."

Serenity wiped her tear-stained cheeks, took a deep, calming breath, and looked up at her mother with mature determination.

"Yes, Mother."


	3. Chapter 2b

**Here's the rest, enjoy!**

Chapter 2b

—

LATER that morning

Artemis stood at the controls of Mare Serenitatis' Strategic Command, putting together the day's reports for the Queen to review during her breakfast. Jupiter and Mercury had provided status reports of fortifications so far; Jupiter's planetary shield was fully operational and should become even stronger over the next few days as Mercury brought each planet's core online. _But for how long? We've never had to draw energy from the planet's cores before, I worry we may be the cause of our planet's destruction instead of the enemy…_

Mars had reported her planet's council were finalizing logistics around the draft before making the announcement to the people; they would be drafting every able-bodied man and woman between the ages of 17-35 to become Soldiers of Ares. The Soldiers were renowned throughout the system for their fierce bloodlust in the heat of battle; Artemis couldn't help but wonder if these forced recruits would uphold that reputation.

Commander Io had reported in; all remaining citizens and armies from Uranus and Neptune had been evacuated. HQ was being setup at Jupiter's Capitoline Hill. No other word had arrived from the Outers.

_Holy Mother, please protect Amara and Michiru, and pray the enemy never finds Hotaru, _Artemis prayed. Artemis had only ever met the Harbinger of Death once, and couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl's fate…

When Pluto and Saturn were first attacked, Artemis and Luna had been awoken by Selene in the middle of the night and told to follow but not speak of what they saw to anyone, ever. Selene had led them to the Doors of Time, a room in the palace that was forbidden to all, including the Queen herself, or so Artemis had thought. There, he and Luna bore witness to the most peculiar conversation they had yet seen in their time as guardians to the Queen.

***A senshi with jet black hair that looked almost green in the faint light of the moon stood in front of the doors holding a little girl's hand. This senshi held a staff with a mysterious red orb, and her uniform was torn in places. Dark blue blood was splattered across her face, forearms, and boots. Luna looked at Artemis, wide-eyed and curious but too afraid to speak, lest they be seen. _Sometimes, it was good to be in cat form_, Artemis thought, this being one of those moments. No one, they thought, would notice the two pairs of glowing eyes at the base of a nearby column watching the scene unfold.

"Selene-sama, I found her before they took the planet. I fear, however she is the sole survivor. Saturn was never well-populated, so word of the attack took longer to reach their Capital. By the time Titan and Rhea knew, the enemy was at their door." the warrior said, her red eyes revealing no emotion.

_Saturn? That little girl must be Hotaru, Titan and Rhea's heir, _thought Artemis. _But who is behind the attack?_

Selene spoke quietly, "What of your planet, Setsuna? How is Charon?"

_Charon? That's Pluto's Regent, how does this warrior know him? _thought Artemis, he looked over at his partner, sharing the same incredulous look as her.

Setsuna changed weight from one foot to the other, the only apparent sign of the woman's distress. "Charon was able to seal the Gate on his side before the enemy had overrun the palace. I was the only one-" the Warrior took a breath- "our Father would let through the Doors, as someone had to warn Saturn, and you. My brother gave his life so that all might live… This is now the only Door of Time left."

Selene nodded slowly, before putting her hand to her mouth to hide the quietest of sobs. Artemis wanted to run out and comfort his Queen but Luna placed her paw over his, shaking her head, "Artemis, no…***

Artemis. Artemis? ARTEMIS!"

_Nani? _Artemis snapped awake in the control room, his partner about ready to scratch him out of his reverie.

"I swear, tomcat, when you get to thinking you tune out all else around you!" Luna said, exasperated. In their early days working together, she found this aspect about Artemis almost endearing, but his affinity for daydreaming could be tiresome, this being one of those moments.

Artemis blinked, owl-like, until he focused on Luna's dark face and realized he had gotten sidetracked from his work. "Gomen, Luna. There's been no word from the Outers, and my mind naturally got to wandering."

Luna knew all too well where his mind had most likely gone. She couldn't help but think of that evening lately, too. Neptune's evacuation had brought back early memories of when the war had begun, and Luna knew Artemis was thinking of that little girl with shoulder length black hair. With a knowing look, Luna placed her paw on his, reassuring him that she understood.

"Her Majesty's breakfast will be ready soon, do you have the latest reports for me to bring with her meal?" Luna asked quietly. "Of course, one moment here." Artemis handed her a disc with the day's intelligence reports and smiled in thanks. She nodded before bouncing from the control panel to the floor, and headed out the door towards the Queen's chambers.

As Luna walked the corridors, her mind turned to the night she and Artemis met Sailor Pluto, and the girl who could be Saturn…

***The child had run out of the corridor into the gardens when Pluto delivered the news to Selene. Selene, turned to follow the girl, but instead looked down to where Luna and Artemis were hiding and nodded her head. _Follow but do not engage_, having known her Queen for most of her life, Luna knew to make sure the girl didn't leave the palace grounds until the Queen found her.

Luna followed the girl as she ran through the various palace corridors until she finally made it outside. The girl stopped, having never seen the gardens before, and her tearful countenance changed from one of sorrow to quiet curiosity. The child wiped her tears with the back of her hand, bare feet stepping on soft grass, and wandered the gardens until she found the primrose garden, Luna quietly following her stutter-step path. There, Luna saw the girl behold a silent figure sitting near the fountain in the center of the garden, the moonlight making this person's hair shine like the palest gold. Princess Serenity was sitting on the edge of the fountain in the center of the garden, holding a primrose to her nose as she stared in the night sky in silence. As soon as she heard the girl's steps, she turned in her seat and looked on the child with a tender eye, and introduced herself. "Hi there, my name's Serenity. I don't believe we've met before, what's your name?"***

Luna focused on the task at hand as she approached the doors to Selene's chambers, her maid following the dark cat with the Queen's dinner. Luna paused for the slightest moment, while the guards announced her arrival, before she bounded up the steps to her Majesty's lap, dropping off the day's intelligence in her hands with a welcome purr.

"Ma'am, I bring you the morning's reports from Artemis, all of the Inner Senshi have reported progress with their missions. No news yet from the Outers." Luna stated as the Queen glanced over the file in her hand. Selene set aside the intelligence to give Luna a thank-you pat on the head before starting on her dinner.

"Thank you Luna. How were Serenity's lessons this morning?" Selene wondered, _given the day's events._ Selene couldn't help but wonder how her daughter recovered from her failure.

"Funny you mention it ma'am, I caught her daydreaming out the window only once. She was staring out over the gardens during our lesson in Astronomy. She said that she was picturing the distances between the planets, but she had a wistful look in her eye like she wished she were traveling to the planets instead of learning about them. That being said, I felt she was applying herself today more than the past week combined, for sure. Perhaps it's her mother's presence that has spurred her to focus on her studies?" Luna raised what the Queen could only assume was the feline equivalent of an eyebrow, and Selene chuckled for a moment. _Clever cat, _Selene thought as she chewed her meal.

"Aye, Luna. You could say I got her ass back in gear-" the Queen lowered her voice so that Luna could barely here her next sentence- "She tried the Embrace today, and failed. We must push her harder, Luna, especially now that the Outers are lost."

Luna bristled at the Queen's statement in utter surprise, nearly jumping out of her lap. "She WHAT? I didn't think that was possible to do outside of the Ceremony?"

"As our Senshi of Time likes to remind me, nothing is impossible Luna," the Queen replied with chagrin.

"Well, that being said, ma'am, nothing is lost forever, either. We will claim all the Outers back and restore peace again to the Alliance, I'm confident of it. I will also make sure Serenity studies twice as hard so that the next time you are home for more than a Lunar hour it will be for her to successfully take the Embrace, and in a more formal setting, too, if you don't mind. If the Armies heard about this they'd-"

"Mm-" Selene interrupted as she swallowed her piece of grapefruit, "I know, Luna. I will do all in my power to formally bring the Embrace to fruition, keeping the strength of the Alliance intact." Selene stated.

_Last thing I need is for word to get out that the Heir to the Alliance had failed the Embrace. I'd have mutiny on my hands in hours, _Selene thought. The Embrace had been successfully performed for so many countless generations not a soul was alive who knew it could not be successful. To have the public masses discover it not only was it possible to fail the Embrace, but that it had already happened, would cause riots and panic in the streets. _I must ensure the public remains calm and focused on the ongoing war effort._ "Now on to other matters- this afternoon I need you and Artemis to meet me at the Teleporter before I leave, 14:00 sharp, and tell no one. I'll only be gone an hour at most."

Luna batted her tail to her side and jumped off Selene's lap, "Aye General. We will be there."

—

"I don't like this, Luna. I know we don't go announcing her itinerary but this is most unusual. Usually Venus is here to receive any commands when Selene departs. Why didn't she ask Minako-chan to join us?" Artemis was pacing the Teleporter room, his tail twitching from side to side in frustration.

"It is not our place to question, Artemis, and you know that. She'll be here soon, I'm sure she'll tell us when she arrives." Luna calmly stated. She, unlike her snow-colored counterpart, was sedately stretching out in a patch of warm sunlight. Her ears however perked up as she heard the faint, heavy footsteps of boots walking toward the Teleporter room. Artemis stopped his pacing as well as he listened for the familiar footsteps of their leader. Serenity soon entered with a sealed envelope and a slip of paper, her eyes grimly set on the teleporter platform.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Artemis please enter these coordinates. Luna, please take these orders. If I am gone more than one hour, you are to give those to Commanders Io and Venus only, is that understood?" Selene stated as she crisply walked toward the center of the room to the landing pad. Artemis quickly took the coordinates from her left hand as Luna took the sealed orders from her right, both looking quizzically at each other before stepping aside from the landing pad.

Artemis looked down at the coordinates, and nearly choked on air in surprise at the location."Suh-suh, MA'AM, you want to go THERE? There's no way of knowing who will be on the other side to receive you!"

"Which is why Luna has her orders if I don't return. I mean to win this war by any means necessary, Artemis. Let's hope the Terrans agree to help us in our time of need." Selene grit her teeth as she bit out her last sentence. _Most likely I will end up with a sword to my throat upon my arrival, _she smirked.

"Terrans?! Your Majesty, surely we can-" Luna began to intercede.

"ENOUGH. You have your orders. I will see you in an hour, hopefully with company. One of you stay here until then, in case I am successful, as I will most definitely need assistance in giving any visitors our most diplomatic welcome," Selene stated. "Artemis, whenever you are ready, I would like to get this over with as soon as possible." Selene knelt to the floor, bracing for the impact of being teleported thousands of miles in seconds.

"Yes, Ma'am. See you on the flip side…" Artemis pressed his paw on the launch button, watching the Queen disappear in a beam of bright, rainbow colored light.

"…hopefully," Artemis muttered. The Teleportation room was now silent, as both Guardians watched the last remaining flecks of light dissipate from the landing pad.

"Artemis, you have lessons with Serenity in 15 minutes. I'll watch for the Queen's arrival," Luna quietly breathed. Artemis heaved a sigh before jumping down from the control panel, and started for the door.

"I thought we'd seen it all, Luna, but boy does this day take the cake," Artemis muttered before walking out the door. Luna could only silently nod, her wide eyes motionless as she watched the landing pad. Her mind pondered the recent, unprecedented actions of her Queen, and of previous moments where her actions surprised her most loyal and feline subjects…

***"Hi there, my name's Serenity. I don't believe we've met before, what's your name?" Serenity tenderly asked the little girl who had wandered in the garden, Luna silently watched their interaction. In the moon's pale glow, Serenity looked like the flowery nymphs from the old Lunarian myths Luna had read stories about in the palace libraries. The girl hesitated for a moment, before stepping towards Serenity to shake her hand. She nervously held the hem of her nightgown in a curtsey as she shook Serenity's hand and said quietly, "Ho- Hotaru…"

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Hotaru. Tell me, do you like flowers?" Serenity asked as she patted the spot next to her on the fountain edge. Hotaru pondered her cautiously for a moment, before moving to sit next to the Princess.

"Yes, but I've never seen flowers like these before. All the flowers back home are purple or black. What's that flower you have?"

Serenity smiled and gave her the primrose she had been holding, "It's called an evening primrose, they're very special because they bloom white at night and fade to pink in the morning. I've never seen a purple flower before, what do your flowers look like?"

Hotaru blushed as she accepted the fragrant gift from Serenity before responding, "they're small, but they grow in bunches and they're hardy, 'just like our people,' Momma says. Well, Momma said…" Hotaru's pensive smile faltered, and she began to look at her hands and sniffle.

"I miss my Momma. She's, she's dead!" Hotaru could no longer contain her sorrow as she began to wail in mourning for her mother. Serenity, immediately distressed at the small child's admission, rubbed Hotaru's back with her hand and murmured "I'm so sorry, I'm here if you'd like a hug." Hotaru's hands were hiding her face, but her little head bobbed in agreement and she turned to Serenity to be held in her arms. Serenity held her close and stayed silent, letting the little girl grieve, when she looked up to see Luna watching them. Serenity looked at the cat questioningly but Luna shook her head and stepped behind a bush to stay out of sight. I_t wouldn't be wise to tell Serenity she had come from the Doors of Time, _she thought.

After a few minutes, Hotaru's crying subsided, and Serenity spoke, "I'm sorry you lost your Mother. I lost my Father when I was very little, too. But you know, I like to think he's watching over me still, just from far away. Would you like to see him?" Hotaru shook her head yes and started to wipe the tears from her small, cherubic face. Serenity looked up at the night sky and pointed to a lone, bright yellow star, "He's right there. Whenever I'm lonely I can come out here and see him shining down on me, and I always feel better. Maybe your mother is somewhere up there, too?"

Hotaru's face lit up, "Really? That's your dad? I want to find my mom!" She searched the night sky for any kind of sign that one of the silent sentinels in the dark sky could be her mother. After a while, she found two small stars that were very close together and said, "that one over there must be Mom, because Dad's right there next to her." Hotaru beamed up at Serenity, who tenderly smiled and nodded. Serenity spoke, "You parents are up there, too? Maybe they'll meet my Dad and keep him company."

Hotaru turned shy all of a sudden and asked, "Will they be friends, you think? I'd like that. Serenity, will… will you be my friend?"

Luna felt a presence next to her and turned to see the Queen silently looking on the two girls talking in the garden, Artemis by her heels. Her eyes revealed her shock and concern for a brief moment, before they changed to sad regard for the two girls before her. Selene breathed a small sigh, knowing she would soon have to bring Hotaru back to Setsuna before more people saw Saturn's heir.

Oblivious to those watching her conversation, Serenity smiled at Hotaru's question and said, "I would love to be your friend! This way we can come out here together when we miss our parents and maybe we won't be so lonely. Would you like that, Hotaru?"

Hotaru beamed a radiant smile, and for a moment she looked like a happy, carefree child once again. It was at this moment that Selene stepped into the garden. "Oh here you are Hotaru, we've been worried sick looking for you, but I see my daughter Serenity found you. Setsuna was hoping you could join her in the kitchen for ice cream?" Selene held out her hand expectantly for the little girl, who was still in Serenity's lap. Hotaru jumped to her feet shouting, "Ice cream! Will Serenity be having ice cream with us, too?" The child had by now run over to Selene and was holding her hand, and turned her head so she could see if Serenity was following.

"Of course she will, but first I need her to take care of something for me before she can join us. Why don't you walk with Artemis here to the kitchens and we'll join you later." Selene nodded to Artemis, who rubbed his face against Hotaru's legs making her giggle before he bounded away a few feet, waiting for her to follow. Hotaru started after Artemis, and waved to Serenity, "I'll pick out your favorite flavor Serenity! What would you like?"

Serenity giggled before answering, "cookie dough! Don't eat it all before I get there!" Hotaru laughed in acknowledgment before chasing after Artemis, who was scampering down the garden path trying to pounce a sage green butterfly. Artemis turned to make sure Hotaru was following him, before making eye contact with Luna and Selene and blinking his eyes in silent acknowledgment of his orders. Artemis and Hotaru were playing and running out of Serenity's sight, who smiled watching the two before turning to her Mother, "What is it, Mother?"

Selene's face became soberingly serious, knowing she would regrettably have to end her daughter's budding friendship to protect the Silver Millennium. She took her daughter's hand, "Serenity, you can never speak to or see that child again. I know this is hard for you to accept, but it is for the safety of our Alliance that you never speak of her to anyone ever, including me, Luna, and Artemis. She is banished from our kingdom." Serenity's eyes widened in surprise as she looked at her Mother.

"What do you mean, banished? There's no way a sweet child like Hotaru can be dangerous, I don't understand why you would say such a thing!" Serenity exclaimed, her eyes were fierce in their compassion for her new friend. Selene couldn't help but admire her daughter's passion, and she placed her hands on her daughter's two frail shoulders so she could take in her reaction fully.

"She is the Harbinger, Serenity. As Sailor Saturn, she would become Death incarnate, the most powerful and frightening of the Outer Senshi. Her power has only one purpose, to end all life and from our worlds' extinctions a new Millennium begins. That is why for Hotaru, her life must be spent in the shadows, away from her sister senshi and the risk of awakening. Even unawakened, her latent energy is too strong to risk being found by the enemy. We cannot risk tipping the scales of power in either side's hands should her existence be discovered." Serenity took in each sentence with increasing alarm and disbelief, before placing her hands over her Mother's.

"Surely there must be a way for her to control her powers like the rest of us, Mother? Isn't that why I've begun my training, so that I have the skill to harness my power correctly? I can't accept there isn't a way for Hotaru to be a part of the Senshi and to be my friend, to have friends." Serenity knew in her gut that what she was saying was true, and she hoped that her determination would somehow win her Mother to her side.

Selene looked on her child sympathetically as she stated with finality, "There is no other way, Serenity, my orders are final. One day, you will understand my decision, but until then you must trust me that I am right and obey my orders." Selene kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Sometimes, a Monarch must put the needs of the many over the needs of the few. I hope you never have to make such a decision in your reign but should you ever, use this moment right now as your guide." Selene turned to head back to the palace, and faced Luna before leaving, "Luna, please escort my daughter to bed before meeting me in the War Room. We have much to discuss."

"Aye, My Queen." Luna's yellow eyes bored into her ruler's in silent understanding, and Selene left her daughter to ruminate on her orders in solitude. Luna breathed for a moment, before she heard Serenity sigh and sit on the edge of the fountain where moments ago she had been smiling with her new friend. Luna quietly stepped up to her Princess before meowing and jumping into her lap. Serenity began absent-mindedly stroking her guardian, looking at the stars for answers she had a feeling she would have to find herself. They both stayed there for a moment in silence, Serenity contemplating the evening's events and Luna contemplating guiltily how long she should enjoy the back rub before ending the moment and sending her Princess to bed, when Serenity very quietly, but resolutely said, "She's wrong, Luna."

Luna's ears twitched slightly but they were the only part of her to respond to Serenity's statement. "What was that, Serenity?"

"She's wrong… I know Mother believes that what she's doing is for the benefit of the Alliance, but I can't accept there is no other way." Luna opened her eyes and looked at Serenity. _She speaks with such determination in opposition to Selene, I've never seen this from her before,_ Luna wondered, _perhaps I'm catching a glimpse of the future monarch Serenity will become?_ Luna's tail twitched, and she slowly sat up, looking at her friend in encouragement, and placed her paw on Serenity's chest. Serenity looked down on her lifelong companion, thankful that Luna was there listening and not arguing her Mother's position. The moonlight reflected in Serenity's eyes, making them appear as if they were glowing a bright, cerulean blue.

"When I am Queen," Serenity said, "I will find a way to help Hotaru so she doesn't have to hide. I won't ever abandon my friends."***


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey Everyone, thanks for the follows! So guess what happens when I get 5 days and 4 nights away from my job? A new chapter.**

Chapter 3

EARTH, The King's Forest

"Well, mademoiselle, either this is my lucky day or your worst nightmare. Explain yourself," The gentlemen amusedly said just behind Selene's left ear. _I have got to stop predicting the future, _Selene thought as she eyed the sword that was gleaming in the moonlight just at the level of her jugular...

~three earth-hours earlier~

Selene had landed in a small glen surrounded by old, powerful oak trees, the moon's light casting a faint glow on the scene. All around, she could feel the ever-buzzing presence of life: cicadas were buzzing in the background, an owl peered at her from a bough directly in front, a small twig snapped behind her as a black bear shuffled through the forest looking for its next meal. She was still kneeling to the ground and breathing hard as she adjust to the heavier gravity and thicker air that Earth gave its lifeforms, but after a few seconds her brain adjusted to the extra oxygen and she felt her muscles grow stronger. She then stood to take in her surroundings. It had been more than 25 Lunarian years since she had visited the planet, the last time she had departed the Earth in this location, the stately Oak trees that surrounded her now were mere saplings just beginning to take root.

_Find the closest Terran-made structure and scout until I know where I am, and then see if Caelus has moved his throne, _Selene thought as she began to step through the woods, her feet stepping softly so that her boots left little trace of her presence to the trained eye. All the time she was stepping through the woods, she observed everything around her. The forest she was presently traveling through was very old but well maintained, aside from the large and abnormally old trees, the shrubs and bushes looked like they were trimmed or pruned regularly. She deduced the forest wasn't wild then but a part of someone's property, which meant she had to be extra careful so no one would find her or mistake her for a poacher. She soon came upon a large, stone wall, that was overgrown with ivy in some parts so that she couldn't tell if the wall was still there or if nature had taken its place. Carefully, she walked along the wall but stayed in the shadows of the forest's border, until she spied a small stone that stood out from the rest of the ivy-covered wall.

_They wouldn't make it that obvious, _Selene thought, expecting the stone to be some kind of button that would open a secret door. Instead, she noticed that above the stone the vines had become rather thick, and she knew she could climb instead, surprising whoever was on the other side of the door waiting for unannounced arrivals.

Selene placed her left foot on the stone, grabbed the closest vine (without disturbing the rest of the wall) and began to climb. Slowly and silently she climbed until she was just below the edge of the top of the parapet. There she waited just below the edge to see if any guards were posted to watch. Sure enough, the night's watch walked by without noticing her presence. She smirked to herself in triumph and silently climbed the rest of the wall, hopping down into the wall-walk just behind the guard. She quickly ran to the closest tower to her right, and sidled up against the wall just outside the doorway, waiting for the next guard to walk by. She picked up a small stone near her foot, and as the next guard walked through the doorway, she tossed the stone behind him so that it would land just behind him to the opposite side of where she was standing. As soon as the guard turned his attention, she stepped behind him and into the tower, silently creeping down the stairs so that she was on ground level again.

Once she was on the ground, she peered out of the tower and saw to her left a bailey with a fountain and rose bushes along the edges, the secret door on the wall side was plain for all to see on the inside, and no guards were posted nearby. _Damn, _she thought, _all that work for nothing._ Silently, she looked for any guards' locations, and timed her run across the bailey so that none saw her. She quickly saw an alcove to her left just as she was passing the hedge border on the opposite side of the tower, and immediately sidestepped in, watching the courtyard she just left and the walls for anyone who might have noticed her dash. Unfortunately, in sidestepping her entrance she did not see the gentlemen with short blond hair sitting in the alcove reading a book, which is how she came to have a scimitar curved around her neck when she turned around.

*back to present*

"Explain yourself," The gentlemen ordered. Selene sighed, quickly calculating how she could get out of her present predicament. First play from her book was always to play to a man's chivalrous side.

"Oh sir! I just started here today and one of the guards will not keep his hands off of me! I thought I could escape his lecherous advances by hiding here but didn't know I was interrupting anyone's solitude. Maybe a stern word from you would send him off?" She asked in the most innocent and naive voice she could improvise at the time.

The scimitar stayed at her throat for a long moment as the gentleman gauged the truth of her story. "Ah, I see Eric has been at his games again. Is that who's been bothering you?" He quietly asked, still keeping the sword precariously at her throat.

_Shit, how do I know he's not trying to call my bluff._ Selene thought she caught a glimpse of a mustache on one of the guards she had avoided, hopefully this would be enough to identify a man her captor knew. "If you mean the tall one with the mustache then yes, that is Eric. Please sir, I only wanted to find somewhere safe to hide from him. Check my pockets if you like, I carry no weapons."

The man didn't know she didn't need a weapon to be dangerous, but she thought the invitation would be a way to gauge his qualities as a gentleman.

"Hmm, I did tell Paul the mustache made him look like a molester. Alright miss, I'm going to move my sword away from your throat just slightly so that you can empty your pockets for me... good Lord, are those pants you're wearing?" The man moved his sword just enough that Selene had an opportunity. She ducked her head out of immediate slicing range, elbowed the man hard in the gut, and rolled forward so that she could turn around and give him a barrage of blinding moonlight.

Unfortunately the man was quicker than she had anticipated, and before she could blind him (temporarily of course), he was lunging at her with a mean, downward stroke of his scimitar. She quickly side-stepped to his right and out of the way, then aimed an artful jab at his sword hand before swinging her left foot into the back of his knee. The man dropped his sword but caved into a kneel before her foot could connect with his knee joint, and he swung his right arm around her right leg so that she had to lose her balance, and the struggle quickly turned into a wrestling match.

Paul walked the outer walls of the rose garden, wondering if his mustache was indeed a ladykiller like he had hoped. Jadeite didn't seem to think so, but the man was a jokester so how could he know when the Commander was telling the truth? As he walked by the entrance to one of the garden's alcoves, he heard Jadeite's voice in what seemed like a struggle with a female companion. Paul stopped, listening to the sounds, as he truly hoped it wasn't the type of struggle where he would have to intervene, but then he heard Jadeite exclaim, "Damnit woman this jacket is new!" followed by the higher cadence of a woman's grunts, and then fabric ripping. Paul chuckled to himself and continued on with his watch. _Wait until the guys hear this story! _He mused.

Meanwhile, Jadeite's brand new, bespoke military jacket was ripping at the seam of his armpit as he was caught in a hold by this mysterious, bewitchingly beautiful and impossibly strong woman. He wheezed one last time before gasping "It's late and I'm tired, shall we call it a truce?" The woman stilled herself, and thought a moment before saying behind his head, "On the count of three we both separate and move to opposite sides of the bench."

"How do I know you'll break at the same time as me?" Jadeite countered. He wasn't raised a fool. The woman calmly replied, "only a gentleman would foolishly let a woman empty her own pockets. As you are a indeed a gentleman, you have my word I will break at the same time."

_Burn, _Jadeite thought. He begrudgingly nodded before counting to three, and the two of them quickly disentangled themselves so that they were standing again and facing each other on opposite sides of the bench. For a few moments, the only sounds that could be heard were the faint buzzing of distant cicadas and the labored breathing of Selene and Jadeite.

Jadeite scrutinized the woman's appearance. Now that he really looked at her, instead of just reacting to her surprise appearance in his little alcove of peace and solitude, he could tell she was wearing some kind of military uniform, though he didn't recognize any of the insignia. Her red boots, navy pants with red stripes up the sides, and white jacket with red and gold pins bearing her rank were striking in their ornamentation but he knew from recent experience they did not deter its wearer from movement. Her hair was long and in a weird style he had never seen before. _Are those some kind of meatball reference? _Jadeite wondered, but in the pale moonlight her hair looked like it could have been the palest shade of purple, _if people's hair can even be that color._

Selene considered the man before her: Blue eyes, gray uniform, but what looked to be red trim along the edges of his now ripped jacket. Though his uniform was mostly streamlined in design compared to the Terran uniforms the last time she was on Earth, she recognized the epaulets as the rank of a Commander. But Commander of whom, or where, she couldn't tell. If the red meant anything, it might be a part of the planet with a warmer climate, but then how could she explain his cream-colored skin? He did not have the skin tone of a man who had constantly lived under the Sun. Though his blond hair had fallen into the man's eyes, Selene could tell he was analyzing her, trying to place her identity with a familiar foreign country. _Good luck with that, _she sarcastically thought to herself.

Jadeite finally decided to break the silence, "You better be of a high rank where you come from, because I expect to have my jacket replaced."

_What a preening dandy, _huffed Selene to herself, "If you're a commander like your epaulets say you are, surely you can afford to have it repaired yourself. Unless you'd like to tell your tailor how it came to need replacing in the first place?"

"The tailor will understand, my King however will not until I have a more thorough explanation. So, shall we start at the very beginning? You are...?" Jadeite waved his hand in a motion, beckoning her to finish his sentence.

Selene silently nodded, and instead waited for him to start talking about himself instead.

Jadeite waited for her to start talking, only to realize she was not going to break the ice. He finally growled in frustration and started in, crossing his arms, "Fine. I'm Jadeite, Commander of the East and Third Lieutenant to Emperor Caelus. And you are...?"

Selene's eyes widened just slightly at the change in title, "Emperor Caelus?"

Jadeite's chest slightly puffed in pride at her astonishment. He immediately assumed she must be some yokel warrior from a distant land who had heard of His Excellency's wages for the best and bravest to join the Terran ranks. "Yes, he is the ruler of these lands, did you think this castle belonged to anyone else?"

Jadeite heard the quietest of chuckles before his adversary/companion replied, "I meant, the last time I spoke with him he was just the Crown Prince of Terra. But I guess Cael had his reasons to change his title when he ascended the throne to one so... pretentious?"

_Wait, WHAT?_ Jadeite's mind shut down at this news. He had never heard of His Excellency going by any other title, let alone this woman was insinuating she knew- knew\- the Emperor before he was crowned Emperor, _and be on a nickname basis_?! He outwardly sputtered at Selene's remark, and could only awkwardly point at her before shouting, "Identify yourself, woman! How do you know his Excellency?!"

The left corner of Selene's mouth raised, just the tiniest of amounts into a sly smile, before she raised her eyes and hands to the Moon, as if she were offering a part of herself to her home world. In shimmery waves, her uniform changed into her regal attire, and she peered at Jadeite with eyes that glowed. "All that you need to know is that I am royalty, and I am not of this planet. Now, if you would be so kind Commander Jadeite, I desire an audience with His Excellency."

_This night just keeps getting weirder, _Jadeite thought, as he promptly shut his now gaping mouth, and numbly offered Selene his arm to escort her to the throne room.

**okay readers, I have a question. Would you rather see shorter installments of chapters be posted as I write them, or wait until I have a complete chapter and post it all at once? Please let me know your preference, thanks!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's note- so sorry for the seriously long delay updating, and thanks for the follows and reviews! This story will get finished but I have a feeling everyone will have to be in it for the long haul (sorry! I am a stickler for editing).**

**Since the Silver Millennium can be flexible as far as stylistic influence, I've imagined Earth has more Roman names and titles but more Western European early medieval fashions and building designs. **

**once again, I own nothing Sailor Moon.**

Chapter 4

EARTH, the Crown Prince's bedchambers

Endymion was dreaming of walking by a fountain in a garden that somehow felt familiar, though he couldn't recall its location. The evening light seemed to give the flowers a shimmering glow and he stopped for a moment to dip his hand in the water as he passed by, walking through an arbor of delicate white blooms. As he turned the corner, all he saw were white roses and he heard the most beautiful voice singing something in a language he didn't understand. His eyes began to behold the person who's voice he heard, seeing the slightest train of a white dress and two long plaits of the palest blond hair, when a hand sharply grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Sir, Sir you must wake up. Jadeite says there is a woman who is demanding to see the Emperor."

Endymion groaned as he opened his eyes, only to see Kunzite sitting in his chair next to his bed, arms crossed. His oldest and most trusted general was a stoic person to say the least, but Endymion could discern that he was upset, as the faintest of frowns was visible on his chiseled face.

"Damnit Kunzite, what time is it? Who wants to see my Father?" Endymion sat up and began to rub his eyes. _Whoever this person is they better have a damn good reason for waking me up, let alone father._

"According to Jadeite, a woman is demanding an audience and she is the type of person not to be denied the request. He insists that she is royalty, though from whence she came he has no information. He also declined to tell me how she happened to arrive here at this hour without the guards noticing. I would rather we meet her first before waking his Excellency."

Endymion tried to process what Kunzite was telling him, but every other word was still groggy to him. "This isn't one of Jad's drunken pranks again is it? Because I am in no mood having to deal with some exotic prostitute. This isn't another cake incident is it?"

Kunzite snorted, "No, he was very serious when he came to me."

Endymion stretched his arms to the ceiling before sitting up and grabbing a pair of black pants and blue doublet. "Well then, let's meet Her Mysterious Ladyship." He quickly laced up his pants and started heading for the door as he slipped on his doublet over his simple white chemise, buttoning up the bottom half before giving up on the rest. _Whoever this woman is she can deal with the lapse in propriety, I'm too tired to bother with the rest of these tiresome buttons._

The two men quickly left Endymion's quarters and headed down a set of stairs and hallways to the library. Endymion's generals had taken the rooms near the library for use as their offices and quarters. One, for the relative ease of accessing any reference materials they needed from the library and Two, because most of the courtiers avoided the library at all costs. Places of study and solitude were not the best locations for anyone trying to ostentatiously parade in front of their peers, so in a typical day the only other people who visited the library other than the Prince and his generals were either servants, or the occasional traveling wise man from various parts of the Holy Terran Empire.

"Have you met the woman already, Kunzite?" Endymion asked as they turned a corner. "No milord, Jadeite insisted we proceed straight to waking the Emperor. I advised him to make her comfortable in his office and

I would come back when the Emperor is ready to receive her. He doesn't know I decided to wake you instead." Endymion ruminated on this, it wasn't like Jadeite to skip protocol and go to the Emperor directly, perhaps this mysterious woman had hypnotized him or used some sort of magic to control his mind? C_onclusions made without facts are only speculation, and not to be trusted. _Endymion recalled the lesson Helios- the High Priest of Elysion, the kingdom's official religion- had imparted on him from a young age. He wished Helios were here now to listen in on this interview/interrogation, but his tutor had disappeared years ago when Endymion turned 16, with a cryptic note about seeing him again when the sun met the moon in the garden of dreams. Endymion quickly pushed all thoughts of his teacher aside as they approached the door to Jadeite's office, the sound of laughter coming from the other side.

As Endymion pushed the heavy oak door in, he could hear the throaty laugh of a woman, followed by Jadeite's hearty guffaw before exclaiming, "Damnit woman you just learned this game! First you disarm me of my weapon in the gardens and now you disarm me of my wealth! I will have my revenge!" The woman sat facing Jadeite at a simple maple table, her back to the Prince and Kunzite. Jadeite was was sitting opposite her, and his face instantly fell from one of mirth to absolute seriousness as he stood and bowed his head to his Prince.

"Endymion, sir. I apologize Kunzite woke you. I thought this was a matter that should be brought to the Emperor at once rather than follow standard protocol. Our- guest here- well, sir I don't think anyone of her kind has ever visited the Capitol before, hence the urgency." Jadeite stayed with his head bowed, waiting to be reprimanded for his error in judgment.

"I understand your reasoning, however Kunzite was correct to wake me first. And now am I to believe our guest is here for entertainment above matters of state?" Endymion stood just inside the doorway so that Kunzite could slide in to the right side of him. Kunzite leaned back on the stone wall, staring at the younger general and the stranger in equally stony silence.

"Endymion?" The woman quietly said, as though the name were a memory to her. She slowly stood from her chair, laying her hand of cards on the table and turning to face the prince. Purple eyes met his sapphire blue, and for a moment the two royals simply regarded each other. He was definitely intrigued- her hairstyle was like none he had ever seen before, and her lilac dress was entirely unfamiliar in style. The bodice was simple with no decorative folds or ruffles, displaying her feminine curves but not so tightly to be misconceived as a sultry invitation to the gazer's eye. Instead, she appeared confident and at ease, her hair the palest silver it practically glowed in the candlelight of the room.

She regarded him and his practical attire in a calculating manner before speaking further, "That is a name I thought was reserved only for the Royalty of Terra. Am I correct in assuming this?" Endymion simply stood still and held her gaze, refusing to give an answer.

Jadeite was the first to break the silence, recognizing he should try and formally introduce their guest. "Milady, may I present Endymion Aurelius Regulus, Son of His Excellency Caelus Aurelius Caesar and Crown Prince of the Holy Terran Empire."

Selene bowed her head in recognition to Endymion, when she rose again she looked at him as though she were puzzled for a moment before hiding her emotions and extending her hands in front of her in what Endymion could only guess was a gesture of introduction. "I am Selene, and am at your service, your Highness. What questions can I answer to show that I am no threat to your father?"

"You can start by telling me where you come from and how you arrived without raising the alarm of any of our guards." Endymion stated simply.

"Ah yes, please forgive me if my arrival appeared to be less than honest. You see, last time I visited your planet I was banished, and I'd rather hoped to avoid incapacitating any innocents to speak with Caelus," Selene demurred. "Jadeite here kindly understood my predicament after a short - conversation," She eyed him to the side, Jadeite coughed and shifted his weight to look away, tucking an arm behind his back to hide his ripped seam, "- and decided I should stay here until your father could be summoned. As far as where I come from… well, your Highness it is of vital importance that my identity be kept secret, even from your generals, until I have clearance from his Excellency. Perhaps your two charming companions here would mind waiting outside the door while we Royals talk matters of state in private?"

Endymion heard the slightest, short exhale of breath from Kunzite, but heard nothing else from the man._So he thinks the idea is preposterous too, good._

Endymion spoke, "As someone who was banished, you should be thrown into the dungeons to await your execution, Selene. But I must admit I do not recall any woman being banished in my lifetime. Tell me, when was this?" Endymion took the smallest of steps forward, and Selene knew she had piqued his interest instead of his ire.

"This was some 25 years ago. Do forgive me, that's in my time. I believe that's around 324 years ago Earth time."

Endymion's eyes flared in surprise at the calculation, and stated to his generals "Out. Both of you. Now." The two royals remained motionless as Kunzite and Jadeite silently left the room and closed the door. Kunzite turned to face Endymion just before closing the door after himself, the two sharing a look that meant they would be discussing Endymion's conversation later, and Selene turned to take what was Jadeite's seat.

There was another beat of silence after the door to the office closed, and all that could be heard was the faint flicker of the candles on the wooden table and the sounds of nocturnal nature outside the window. Endymion then took the remaining seat facing Selene, and finally admitted "Until just now I did not know there could be people from outside my planet. Please, continue."

"Your father, he didn't teach you anything of the solar system?" Selene asked.

"My father did not encourage my study of Astronomy, however our kingdom's High Priest would sneak me outside to the fields some nights and teach me the constellations and planets. Is that where you come from?" Endymion set his elbows on the table, his hands interlocked in a display of thoughtful sincerity. Selene slowly straightened and turned to look out the window.

_Helios was wise to teach him the stars, though I can't blame Caelus for neglecting that part of the boy's education, _Selene thought. Her voice was reverent and quiet so that Endymion could barely hear her. "When I was banished, all diplomatic relations were severed with your world and the rest of the Silver Millennium. Out of respect for his wishes, I placed a spell over my world so that no one from Earth would be able to detect us. You see your Highness, my people have been within sight of the Earth all this time, because I am from the Moon. I am Queen of the Silver Alliance and Supreme Commander of the Bishouju Senshi Armies, which means that I rule the Kingdoms of all the planets within our solar system, except yours."

_Silver Alliance? There are people on the moon? Wait, there are people on other planets?! _Endymion's mind was thinking of a thousand questions at once to ask the Queen, but the simplest question was the first to escape his mouth. "All the planets?"

Selene chuckled ever so slightly and turned her attention back to the Prince. _How much should I reveal to him just now? I need to make sure he knows enough to trust me, and to be my advocate when I face Caelus. _"Yes, planets- Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto. Usually each planet has one Monarch to rule administratively and a Senshi to rule their armies, however in some occasions these two roles belong to the same person. The Moon, my kingdom, rules over all the planets and makes any decisions for the Alliance, however we respect the customs and relative economic autonomy of each member. Much like how you rule here on Earth, or at least how you ruled last time I was here. Caelus was only a King then, now he seems to have solidified his power as _Emperor_."

Endymion nodded, noticing her subtle jab at the title change and trying to absorb all of the information he was receiving. "And the Earth was once part of this Silver Alliance?"

Selene closed her eyes as if deep in thought, choosing the right words, and after a moment she spoke, "In its own way, yes. The relationship of the Earth and the Moon- and by proxy the rest of the Alliance- had always been… delicate. As to why they were delicate, well that is another story that we don't quite have the time for right now. But perhaps, depending on how my conversation with your father goes, I will get the chance to tell you soon. Or maybe Helios is the better person to tell you our two Kingdoms' history? I'm assuming he's the High Priest you mentioned."

Endymion slowly nodded. _Has Helios been hiding information from me? Has he been in communication with this woman even though she was banished? _Endymion thought. Helios had always been reticent in his eccentric ways, but Endymion had always assumed it was his role that made him seem odd to everyone else. _Back to the point, _Endymion snapped out of his thoughts and asked Selene, "Why are you here then, given our delicate history, as you say."

Selene's countenance turned from benevolent to serious in a moment, as if Endymion was meeting an almost different person. "Because we need each other now, more than we ever did in our shared years ago my time, an invading force imbued with Dark energy took our kingdoms of Pluto and Saturn by surprise. Very few survived to warn the Alliance, but we managed to scramble our defenses and hold this force back from Uranus and Neptune for a time-"

Selene swallowed. "until about six months ago. They first took Uranus, massacring the planet's Royal family military leadership, and razing its Capitol to the ground. We tried to take the planet back, but somehow the Enemy created a portal to Neptune while we were mounting a counterattack and we were forced to withdraw from the planet to protect Neptune."

Now the Queen's posture began to hunch, as if her next statement was difficult to admit to the youth. She whisked a hand through one of her long tails of hair in annoyance. "Despite heavy losses to both sides, we were forced to withdraw from Neptune a few days ago your time. We are now building our defenses on Jupiter until we can decide our next plan of attack. Part of that plan includes mending ties with Terra so that we have larger numbers to attack or defend the system. War is coming, Prince, and we must re-forge our alliance to defeat the enemy together. Otherwise, I fear we will all fall to this Darkness."

Endymion sat motionless for a moment, before asking "How can I trust that what you say is true?"

Selene smiled ruefully, "A wise question, and one that I ask the liberty to answer in front of you and your father at the same time. Time, Endymion, is of the essence and I hate explaining myself more than once."

The prince commiserated with her last statement and nodded, standing from his chair and offering his hand to Selene. "Well then your- Majesty?" Selene nodded at the title, "-I guess we should speak with my father, it is nearly dawn so he will be awake soon. In the meantime, may I offer you some refreshments from our kitchen?"

Selene smiled and took his hand, knowing she had him on her side. "If we must wait, then we may as well eat. It has been a long time since I had the pleasure of dining on Terran chicken or their ovum. The animal is not extinct, I hope?"

Endymion smiled, "Hardly madam," and he opened the door to his two generals standing outside in the hallway, worry etched on Jadeite's face and Kunzite in meditative silence. Endymion motioned for Kunzite and Jadeite to follow, and the two silently followed the royals to the castle's kitchens, Jadeite breathing a sigh of relief.

On the walk to the kitchens, Endymion graciously explained any foreign concept to Selene, being sure to ask the right follow up questions so that he could glean as much information as possible on the Lunarians as potential allies (or enemies, for that matter). Selene delicately asked questions about Terran customs as well, hoping to catch up on her etiquette before meeting with Emperor Caelus. However, at moments when the young Royal would turn his attention to her directly, she would also find herself briefly dumbstruck.

_Goddess, _she marvelled, _he has Gaia's eyes._


End file.
